EDUCATION OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

Dr Tan Cheng Bock asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education why his Ministry is not willing to shoulder the responsibility of educating our handicapped children like the deaf, the blind and the retarded and whether such a move will deprive them of the best education possible.

The Minister of State of Education (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am replying on behalf of my Minister.

Far from being unwilling to shoulder the responsibility, the Government has and will continue to give substantial assistance to voluntary organizations in the education of handicapped children. The Government's policy is to encourage the efforts of the voluntary organizations which are running the special schools and to support them wherever possible. The Ministry of Education has been providing teachers to teach in the eight special schools. Similarly, the Ministry of Social Affairs has been providing instructors for the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf. In addition, the Ministries of Social Affairs and Health give annual grants to the special schools to meet part of their recurrent expenditure.

In 1982, 69 government teachers and 11 instructors were sent to the special schools. The Ministry of Education had also agreed to deploy another 25 teachers to the special schools last year. The total government subsidy per pupil in the special schools taking into account the grants provided, the teachers and instructors provided was $1,626 per pupil in 1982. This is 41% more than the subsidy of $1,153 per pupil in our regular primary schools in 1982.

In terms of physical facilities, two school buildings have been made available to the special schools at nominal rental. The Ministry is also assisting the Singapore Association for Retarded Children to take over the Griffiths School building for the Association's use on a nominal rental basis.

Some handicapped children with normal intelligence attend regular schools at both primary and secondary levels. There are nine visually-handicapped pupils and 59 pupils with hearing impairment studying in our regular primary schools. At the secondary level, 36 visually-handicapped students are studying in seven regular secondary schools and 63 students with hearing impairment in two regular secondary schools. Six resource teachers are provided to assist these students. The students attend regular classes with normal students and follow the normal curriculum. They are given special assistance when needed by the resource teachers.

At the request of the associations, the Institute of Education is planning to run training courses for special education teachers. The details are still being discussed by the Institute and, the associations. The course is likely to be a 3-year part-time course leading to the Certificate in Special Education.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether his Ministry will eventually take over the education of handicapped children, thereby leaving the associations to look after the other areas of care, like counselling, home support, rehabilitation, etc.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, at present the Government has no intention of taking over the special schools. The reason is as follows. Special schools are run by voluntary groups comprising interested and dedicated persons. These schools have special and unique needs, including counselling needs, which the Member described just now. These special needs are quite different, in the curriculum, and in the kind of attention they need, from our regular normal schools. Their management committees are able to look into these needs and provide personal attention in a way which no administrators in a bureaucracy can really do. Therefore, instead of taking them over, we believe that it is in the best interest of the special schools to be independent and autonomous. The Ministry on the other hand can and will continue to provide them with financial support and manpower, wherever possible.

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, as I understand the hon. Minister of State, his Ministry, far from refusing to shoulder the responsibility, is doing all it can. But there was a statement, not very long ago, from the Chairman of the Singapore Association for the Deaf (this was reproduced in the Straits Times from its News Letter). The Chairman is on record as saying that the Ministry of Education has said that it is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Education to provide teachers for the Association's schools. Would the Minister care to comment on this, and may I know also from the Minister whether his Ministry is providing trained teachers for the classes run by the Singapore Association for the Deaf?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Chairman of the Association for the Deaf is entitled to his views. As far as providing trained teachers to help in the School for the Deaf, we are indeed providing teachers for the School for the Deaf.